Improvement in self-acting scupper-valves



J. HARKER. Self-Acting Soupper-Valve.

I Patented Aug. 5, 1879. I v

X F J UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOHN BARKER, OF DORGHESTER, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT lN SELF-ACTING SCUPPER-VALVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,263, dated August5, 1879; application filed June 23, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARKER, of Dorchester, Cumberland county, NewJersey, have invented a new and useful Self-Acting Soupper-Hole Closer,of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to so construct self-actingscupper-hole closers as to insure a full and free discharge irrespectiveof the depth of water on deck, further objects being to simplify theconstruction of the device and to facilitate the ready application ofthe same to or its removal from the vessel.

These objects I attain in the manner which I will now proceed todescribe, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of a portion of the starboard side ofthe vessel, showing the valved box or casing adapted to thescupper-hole; Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 1 2; Fig. 3,perspective views of the parts of the scupper-hole casing detached fromeach other, and Fig. 4 a sectional plan view of the valved casingadapted to a seupper-hole on the port side.

A is the plank-sheer of the vessel; B, the rail; D, stanchions; at,waist planks, and l) deck-planks. Theplanks a, between the stanchionsand adjacent to the plank-sheerA, are cut away for the reception of thebox or casing F, which rests upon the plank-sheer, extends from onestanchion to the other, and has an outer flange, d, bearing against thestanchions. The inner end of the casing F is closed by a cover-plate, G,bolted to the said casing and to the stanchions D, and having a seriesof ports, f. A plate of rubber or other elastic material, havingopenings corresponding with the ports in the plate G, is interposedbetween the latter and the casing, and forms an elastic seat for thevalves J, the latter consisting of plain flat plates, each having, atthe front end, lugs i, which are adapted to recesses on formed in thetop and bottom plates of the casing F. The lugs t thus form pintles, onwhich the valves swing, the outward movement of each valve being limitedby a vertical rod, 'n, in the box or easing F. There are in the presentinstance three ports in the cover-plate G and three valves, J, in thecasing F; and in order that the casing may be adapted to a scupperholein either the starboard or port side of the vessel, I make in saidcasing an extra set of recesses, m, so that the valves may be adapted tothe casing either in the manner shown in Fig. 1 for a scupper on thestarboard side, or in the manner. shown in Fig. 4 for a scupperhole onthe port side.

In operation, the valves J will open and permit the escape of water fromthe deck whenever the level of water in the latter is higher than thelevel outside, and when the level of the water outside is higher thanthat on deck the valves will be closed and the entrance of waterprevented.

When the valves are open the water escapes from all of the ports,whatever the depth of water on deck may be, and in this respect myinvention differs materially from that class of scupper-hole closers inwhich the valves are arranged vertically one above another, so that whenthere is but a slight depth of water on deck but one valve is open, thenext valve not opening until there is an increase in the depth of thewater.

It will be evident that with my improved arrangement the deck of thevessel will be freed of water much more rapidly than with thearrangement just described.

Another feature of my invention is the pivoting of the valves J at thefront ends, so that, even when the scupper-hole: is submerged, orpartially submerged, the rapid flow of water past the scupper-hole inthe'xdirection of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1 will tend to induce the valvesto open to some extent and permit the passage of currents in thedirection of the arrows 2, thus aiding in freeing the deck of water.

But little of the planking a need be cut away in order to accommodatethe casing F, and the waist is not, therefore, materially weakened.

Although I have shown a detachable coverplate, G, in connection with anopen box or casing, F, and although I prefer this construction, theinner end of the box may be closed, and the ports f formed in thisclosed end of the box, if desired.

I am aware that scupper-hole closers, as I have already said, have beenheretofore made with valves; but in such scuppers the valves have beenarranged vertically one above another, hung at their upper edges, andarranged to swing open at the lower edges. In my scupper-hole closer thevalves are hung at their front ends, so as to insure the quick closingof the valves in the case of a sea striking the same, and to provide forthe escape of Water when the scupper-holcs are submerged to some extent,such escape being induced by the rapid flow of water past the scuppersoutside in the direction in which the valves open.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination ofthe horizontal box orcasing F, adapted to the scupper-holc, and having portsf, with thevalves J, hung to the casing at their front ends and arranged in linelongitudinally, so as to open at the after ends, as and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination of the casing F and its JOHN BARKER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. ooPER, HARRY SMITH.

